120 tonnes of fruit waiting to reach India markets
KABUL: Officials from Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) said at least 120 tonnes of fruit ready for loading is waiting for the air cargo flights to markets in India.
The ACCI officials said a large amount of the fruit has been left to rot; 15 tonnes of which is still waiting for shipment for the past two weeks.
The much-trumpeted air cargo transportation, aimed at side lining Pakistan, has started without prior preparations, ACCI Deputy Chief Khanjan Alokozay said, calling the air cargo transportation a “failed process”.
“The World Trade Organization (WTO) is not providing subsidies on Afghan exports because it is against the rules of the organization,” Alokozay told an Afghan private TV channel.
Economic affairs analysts said Afghanistan got the World Trade Organization’s membership in a hurry and now it should do business with regional countries based on the WTO’s rules.
“Government opens a so-called way for investors in order to give a hope to the people. But at the end of the day, we see that investors bear the brunt of this flawed decision and their fruit wait for cargo flight for many days,” said Azrakhsh Hafizi, an economic affairs analyst.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industries would not comment on the WTO’s decision to prevent it from giving subsidies to India and Afghanistan.
Spokesman of the ministry, Musafir Qoqandi, said using of the air cargo transport between India and Afghanistan is based on an agreement between the two countries.
The air cargo corridor inaugurated in June was a key project agreed on by Afghanistan and India at last year’s Heart of Asia Conference.
